Fast food and cars: both icons of modern life. But did you know our drive-thru habits have shaped the cars we drive? Let’s explore 10 ways our love for quick meals has influenced car design.
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Improved Ambient Lighting
Eating in the car at night meant needing better interior lighting. Ambient lighting solutions, like those in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, offer the perfect amount of illumination for nighttime snacking without being overly bright.
Cup Holder Revolution
The rise of beverages-to-go at fast-food chains led to an evolution in the car interior, especially the cup holder. What was once a simple, small circle has transformed into adjustable, multi-sized holders, even becoming a central design feature in models like the Chrysler Pacifica.
Easy-Clean Interiors
Fast food spills! Recognizing this, car companies began using more stain-resistant materials. Honda’s CR-V, for instance, offers easily cleaned surfaces and upholstery to combat potential messes.
Wider Center Consoles
As fast food became a regular car meal, center consoles widened to accommodate food containers and bags. The Dodge Ram’s center console, for example, is almost like a mini dining table.
Flatter Dashboards
To provide a makeshift dining space, dashboards in some vehicles, like certain models of vans or trucks, became flatter, allowing drivers to place food items on them temporarily.
Rear Entertainment Systems
As families increasingly turned to fast food for on-the-go meals, rear-seat entertainment systems like those in the Toyota Sienna minivan became popular, allowing kids to watch movies while eating, keeping mess and movement to a minimum.
Voice-Controlled Features
As hands became occupied with burgers and fries, voice-controlled features gained prominence. Systems like Ford’s SYNC allow drivers to adjust settings without taking their hands off their meal.
Rear Foldable Tables
Taking a cue from airlines, some car models, especially in the luxury segment, introduced foldable tables for rear passengers. The Bentley Mulsanne’s picnic tables are a prime example.
Trash Compartments
With fast food comes waste. Some cars incorporated built-in trash compartments or bag hooks, like the ones you’d find in the Volvo XC90, to manage the clutter.
Anti-Spill Tech
Realizing the potential of drinks spilling, some car makers introduced tech to stabilize cup holders or even the car itself when sensing abrupt moves. Technologies like Mercedes’ Magic Body Control, which detects and counters bumps in the road, indirectly reduce the chances of a drink spillage inside.
This article originally appeared on MyCarMakesNoise.
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